


Isle onto Thyself

by icebergg



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: In which the Hero of Time’s adventures were recorded but have been demoted to bedtime stories, Light Angst, i can have a slight canon divergence...as a treat., slight au?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21743215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icebergg/pseuds/icebergg
Summary: The Hero of Time's final request would never be fulfilled.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	Isle onto Thyself

“Draw your blade.”

Link glanced at the spectral figure, who discarded his skeletal form in favour of the appearance of a small, familiar, young boy.

It didn’t go like this usually. Typically, he would teach the technique, give a few words of warning, and allow Link to go on with his journey with the new skill at his disposal. Not all meetings with his mysterious mentor happened to be training though, the youth that appeared before him visited at his lowest moments, allowing the Ordonian boy to confide about the previous events that occurred. He could then return with a weight off his chest, and not a second gone.

“Don’t look at me like that.” A guttural growl emanated from the boy, the kindness shown in other meetings seemingly scorched off by the intensity of his glare. “Draw your blade! Show me that you’re ready for destiny!” The youth poised his sword and shield in practiced, skillful motion.

During a particular talk, when Illa had not remembered him, or remembered anything; and the child had soothed him with words beyond his years, Link asked his name. His answer, after a pause, was Time, paired with a sheepish, lopsided grin. He doesn’t recall it reaching the boy’s eyes, though he does remember that he gave a loud snort and dissolved into laughter at such a ridiculous name that was blatantly made up on the spot, to which the boy got terribly flustered and began defending as to why it was a perfectly good name. Nevertheless, Link accepted it.

He drew his blade.

“Everything I’ve taught you…” Time took a breath, as if grounding himself. “Show me! Defeat me, and then you’ll be ready for Ganondorf.” Link felt himself flinch under the fierce gaze and stern expression of the child. A glare that cut through him like an axe would splinter wood.

There was one time the boy had visited him unprompted, Link had to admit he was quite annoyed as he was in the middle of enjoying the gorgeous soup prepared by the yeti couple of Snowpeak as thanks for his work. Time had asked him how he was and what was happening. Link began to recount his journey so far, from the Mirror of Twilight being shattered, to the struggles of catching a reekfish; the youth listened, nodding along in earnest, almost enamoured by the stories. He did notice a forlorn expression flashing across Time’s face, when his eyes flicked over to the Master Sword, tucked in her sheath. Link could have sworn he saw a flash of fear. 

He had murmured that he wouldn’t have much left to teach.

“Time…-” Link began, before words swung down on him with the might of a mace. “Don’t you dare!” A snarl more vicious than anything he could make as a wolf. “Don’t you see? This is what I’m supposed to do! Face and strike me down like any foe!”

Link learned that the Hero of Time was ten when he saved Hyrule, and he had saved another land, Termina, at twelve. He hadn’t heard of the fable in Ordon Village, but upon arriving to Castle Town, he overheard that he looked just like the mighty legend, donned in green cloth. 

He’s sure that the kids would have loved a story about him.

Though, he never looked into the tale. It had slipped from his mind in the tangle of keeping the Twilight Realm at bay; until he had returned from the Temple of Time, reminded of the story as he learned the name of the sacred, abandoned place. Something within him ached, a pull on his chest, like his ribs were closing in, threatening to crush themselves; to think it was a curse in the Temple was foolish.

The hero felt his voice starting to catch in his throat as the child continued to taunt him into attacking, insistent on being slain. Insisting on being thrown aside; as if demanding to be forgotten. It didn’t go like this.

"You were ten."

He let the words fumble from his mouth, unable to think of anything to reason with the steadfast youth. In the spur of the moment, Link could only think that Time was just as stubborn as himself. 

A meek voice. A meek pitiful voice after what seemed to be eons of silence stretching between them.

“...You told me you didn’t care for history.” The sword in his grasp lowered, the fierce fire in his eyes staring to smoulder.

“I don’t. I care about you.”

Link didn’t read too much into the minor details of the tales of the Hero of Time, only wanting to scan over the beginning and the end. To get a vague idea.

After all, there was no need to read the story, if you had the hero himself confiding everything in full, shaking and trembling in your arms.

Everything.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a really, really sudden burst of inspiration to write this because I've been playing Twilight Princess for the first time and I did this in like a solid half an hour.  
> Sorry for the mistakes and if it doesn't make sense!


End file.
